


I will never forget you

by Teczesgirl



Series: Lily and her cypher [1]
Category: Anthem (Video Game)
Genre: Asexual Character, F/M, First Meetings, Fluff, Gen, Lily just wants a friend, Owen is a terrible thief, bit of angst, mentions of abuse, pre-game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-02
Updated: 2019-04-02
Packaged: 2019-12-30 16:51:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18319376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Teczesgirl/pseuds/Teczesgirl
Summary: Sorry these stories are out of order as of time of publication. But they all make sense if read in order. Thanks for reading!





	I will never forget you

The city of Ponteix was nothing too glamorous. But Lilliale's family still decided that it would be a good idea to vacation here. Not that she cared. It was just another excuse to try and flaunt their status to everyone who would care. At least they let her walk around on her own.

Since the city was so small, she as able to convince them that she would be fine. 

_Like they'd care anyway._ Lilliale thought as she strolled through the streets. _At least this place is bigger than the metaphorical cage called "home" they keep me in._

She was so deep in her mind at that point that she almost didn't hear someone say "yoink" and feel her wallet me removed from her pocket. Almost.

She turned around to see some kid running away with her wallet. She didn't call out for help, no, that was not the first thing that came to her mind. Instead, she ran after the kid and attempted to chase him down. 

He must have heard her, because he looked back and suddenly made a sharp turn down an alley. Lilliale probably should have thought about not following this stranger down a dark alley way, but with the idea of someone actually _happening_ in her life that wasn't decided for her, she jumped at this opportunity. 

And this kid also probably thought she would have had at least some common sense too, because he was just sitting at the end of the alley way, in the darkness where it would be hard to see him. But she did.

As he was getting up, with his back to the entrance, Lilliale tackled the thief to the ground, wrapping her legs around his waist, pinning his chest to the ground, and sitting on his back. It was a rush to say the least. 

But now that she had him, she didn't know what to do next. Unfortunately, she didn't think fast enough. Because the next thing she felt was a foot connecting with her back. He was trying to kick her off, but she would not give up that easily. 

She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tight. "What were you going to do with my money?!" That was the first question that came to her head. In response, he rolled over and pinned her down with his weight. "Why do you care?!" 

She refused to let go. "Because you wouldn't take it if you didn't need it, right?! So why did you feel the need to steal my money?!" She could feel her arms being pried away. "None of your business! Now let me go!" 

She tightened her grip and after a few more minutes of them trying to get the other to submit and give up, the thief finally let go, out of breath both from trying to get Lilliale off and having her arms wrapped around his neck. "Okay okay! I give me, just let me breathe." 

She loosened her arms up, since she was becoming tired too and got off of him. She sat up while he just laid back, trying to catch his breath. She was the first to speak. "What is it that you want? You wanted money, but for what?"

He took a minute to respond. "I wanted to just buy myself a sandwich." This time, he actually propped himself up on his elbows to look at her. "Didn't think you'd actually chase after me." He chuckled a little.

Lilliale didn't. But she did grin a little. "First time I've actually be able to chase after someone. It was... fun... I guess." She stood up and brushed herself off. She was so glad she could sneak out in something that was not one of the stupid outfits her parents insisted on her wearing. 

She extended her hand out for the boy. He was decent looking, buzz cut, brown hair, brown eyes, and a shocked look that seemed like he didn't expect for her to actually offer to help him. "You said you wanted a sandwich, right? Then let's go get one." 

He hesitantly took her hand and she helped him up. He looked deeply embarrassed to be caught like this, but the grip on his hand said that she was serious about helping him. It wasn't angry, just soft but not too loose. 

"Well, I guess if you're gonna treat me, I believe I should tell you my name. I'm Owen, Owen Corley. And you are?" 

Lilliale stopped walking. She feared if he knew her real name, he might recognize it. Her family was one of royalty, after all, though she hated it. So she came up with something fast. "My name is... Lily. My name is Lily." 

Owen smiled. "That's an awfully nice name. So, shall we?" He did his best to link their arms with them still connected. She laughed a little under her breath at the attempt. "Yes, we shall. Where to?"

\------------------------------

That day was one of the most amazing she had in a very long time. Lily and Owen had spent that entire day running around, trying different foods, exploring the city, and getting to know each other a little.

Lily learned that Owen was training as a Cypher and that he was there for more training. She learned that he was really good at being a cypher, and being able to sense the Anthem of creation. She told him little that day, not wanting to ruin the day with her own personal issues. But slowly, she began to open up more. Enough so that by night time, Lily wanted to tell him at least a little more.

"My family isn't... what you would call, supportive of me. They mostly care about my brothers, and as long as I'm not dead, I'm sure they couldn't give a Scar's ass about me."

Lily and Owen sat up on a rooftop, watching the sunset and letting each other know more about their lives beyond that day. While Owen had been talking all day, he let Lily talk all evening. She never told him about her family's status, just that they were pretty well off and that family meant little to them aside from their reputation. When she finished, she realized she had been rambling. "Oh no, I'm sorry. I've never been able to just talk like that." 

"No no, don't be sorry. It seemed like you really had to get that off your chest." He reassured her. It felt nice to be listened to like that.

"Well, thank you for spending the day with me, but I should get back to where I'm staying." Lily stood up and brushed herself off. Owen turned to her and seemed sad. "Already?" She saw the same look in his eyes that she felt when something good was coming to an end. 

"Well, I am staying for the rest of the week. So we can see each other tomorrow, right? Or are you leaving?" She worried that he would be leaving sooner than her, and felt this sort of fear at that thought. 

But his face brightened. "You're not leaving? Oh thank the gods." He smiled at her in a way that made her anxiety fade away. "No, I'm not leaving. I'm just going for the night-"

Before she could finish, she felt arms wrap around her, but not in a restrictive way. It was the first hug she had received in a long time, and the first one she accepted in even longer. But she hesitated for too long to return it and Owen stepped away. 

"S-sorry. Just got a little excited, ya know?" He seemed embarrassed by his own spontaneity but the feeling faded once Lily stepped forward to give a hug in return. It was easy, with her being shorter and wanting to push away the almost uncomfortable moment between them. It lasted only a few moments, but they meant so much. 

"So, where do you wanna meet tomorrow?" She waited and watched as Owen recovered from the near awkward moment so he could respond. 

"Oh don't worry about that. Just walk around and I'll find you. I guarantee it." That grin on his face was something Lily never wanted to forget.

\--------------------------

It finally happened. After five days of being here and actually living, it finally happened. With all the years of bottling these feeling up, dealing with this 'family', and finally getting a taste for the real world. Lilliale finally snapped. She managed to stand up for herself against her mother, father, and five brothers, and got shut down for it. Both mentally and physically. 

After that scene she caused, she couldn't remember much past the adrenaline. All she knew was that she stood up for herself, some objects were broken, and she got hit with something. It was all fuzzy, but she was locked in her room. 

She hated this feeling so much. She felt like a princess locked away in a tower. She felt so helpless, when she finally tried to help herself. 

In all of her frustration, she searched for some way to defy them all. Some way to choose something for herself. And she found it.

A pair of scissors in a drawer. She grabbed a handful of her long black hair and began to cut it away. Bit by bit, it fell to the ground, until it was short, messy, and looked like it had been hacked off. But she choose it. 

But she was still full of hate, rage, and loneliness. Thankfully, she was not really in a tower, instead on the first floor of the huge mansion-like cabin the family had been staying at, and her family didn't take her seriously enough to think that she'd leave her room through the window.

And yet, moment's later, she had her window open, pillows and her own discarded hair arranged to fool anyone who looked in to think she was asleep, and she was gone. 

\-------------------------

Lily doesn't remember how Owen found her. It might have had something to do with her retreating to the roof where they watched the sun set on the first night. She doesn't remember what he said to her or what she said back. She doesn't remember why he picked her up and where he went with her. All she knows was that she fell asleep during that time. 

That explained why she was slightly alarmed to wake up in an unfamiliar setting. Fragments of memories came back to her, but nothing concrete. As she questioned what was going on, she heard the door open.

Her eyes needed to adjust, but she could recognize the voice immediately. "Ah, good morning, sunshine. Feeling better?" Lily had never felt so happy in her life to hear someone else's voice. 

Owen stepped through the door and sat on the bed. His smile was so comforting and Lily could feel all her emotions begin to arise again. Instead of responding, she just cried. Owen held onto her, worried about her but she was able to assure him that she was fine. They were tears of happiness.

Once she could speak without her voice cracking, she told him everything. Down to the last detail of what happened the previous night and about who she really was. "I'm so sorry about not telling you everything. I just didn't want you to treat me differently because of it." She expected him to leave after learning the truth. She expected him to be mad at her for lying to him. She expected to be alone when she opened her eyes. But she wasn't.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Owen at her side, gently pulling her down to lay beside him. He stayed on the top of the covers while she stayed under, but he still bundled her in his arms. She wanted to say something but this moment felt too good to ruin with something sad. 

After a few minutes, Owen spoke up. "I don't care if you're basically a princess or not. I only know Lily, the girl with issues who is my friend. And a friend whom I don't want to be sad. So don't worry about not telling me about that bit of your life. To me, it sounds like you are not the person you're objectively describing. It sounds like you want to be something else, other than a princess." 

He was right. She did want a different path, different than the one she was on. "I want to be a freelancer. That freedom is the one thing I want in life." Owen laughed, and Lily almost felt offended.

"A freelancer? Well, in that case, you'd better get started. I'm going to be a fully fledged cypher pretty soon. And every freelancer needs a cypher." Lily's eyes lit up and she looked up at Owen to meet his eyes. "You mean, you'd be my cypher?" 

"Of course I would, mate! I think it would be much better to work with a friend rather than someone I don't know." He sounded so genuine. It made Lily's heart jump. She hugged Owen tightly and almost started to cry again. "I would love that." 

Her grip was tight, but he didn't mind.

After a few more minutes of laying there, the two got up and started to get ready. Lily saw her hair in the mirror and groaned. 

"Great, now I've got this complete mess as my hair. At least it will be easier to take care of." 

"Oh, I've got something that can help with that!" Owen piped up. He searched through a drawer and pulled out an electric razor. "If you'd like, I can shave off the rest so it's all even." 

Several minutes later, Lily now had a buzz-cut like Owen. It felt weird to touch, but it was so much better than the mess of hair she gave herself last night in her frustration. She turned to Owen and hugged him again.

"I'm going to find a way out of that family and I'm going to become a freelancer. Thank you so much for the best week of my life." She placed a kiss on his cheek, feeling like it was the right thing to do. 

Owen just stood still for a moment, seemingly dumbfounded by what had just happened. He stuttered out something about how it was no problem and all, but it didn't make too much sense.

The two days, Lily spend with Owen, hanging out and finding a way to legally leave that family that had hurt Lily for so long. By the end of the week, she had a plan, but it would take longer than just the few days, so she had to leave Owen behind. 

"I'll find you again once I'm a freelancer. And next time, I'll be taller." 

He laughed at this. "Well, if that's the case, I'll buy our next sandwiches."

She couldn't help but laugh too. Lily would make good on those promises. And two more. 

A promise to leave that family that tried to trap her, and a promise to never forget that week in Ponteix.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry these stories are out of order as of time of publication. But they all make sense if read in order. Thanks for reading!


End file.
